You?ve made it through the first trimester, mama, and hopefully the morning sickness is easing and you?re getting more comfortable with your ever-increasing bump. As you make your way into your second trimester, your pregnancy care provider may share information with you about a serious pregnancy condition called preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia can develop as early as 20 weeks of pregnancy to as late as six weeks after giving birth. It?s rare?developing in about 4% of all pregnancies in the U.S, but it?s the second most common cause of maternal death worldwide.
Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia, a deadly condition in which a pregnant person can experience seizures and stroke.
Also, if you experience preeclampsia in pregnancy, you?re at greater risk for another pregnancy complication, HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) syndrome. Talk with your pregnancy care provider and learn all that you can about preeclampsia because it can also occur without symptoms. Risk
The exact cause of preeclampsia is unknown. However, there are health-related causes that can make the condition more likely for someone to develop preeclampsia. This may include the following risk factors:
High Risk Factors

Preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy
Pregnant with multiple babies (such as twins)
History of high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, auto-immune disorder (such as  lupus)

Moderate Risk Factors

First time being pregnant or more than 10 years since l...